A Vampire for Christmas

chapter SEVEN





DELLA STARED INTO THE mirror over the sink and tried to come to terms with what she was seeing and figure out whatever it was that Eagan was trying not to tell her. Her stomach lurched in fear when she held her freshly washed hand up to the bright light overhead to study her palm. It hadn’t changed since the cold water had washed away the last of the dried blood.



A long, jagged line stretched from just under her forefinger down to her wrist. A reddish scar, not an open wound. How was that possible? The scar itself was proof enough that she wasn’t dreaming that she’d cut herself badly and bled her way to the front door. That much she remembered. After that the facts became fuzzy. Eagan had appeared out of nowhere to keep her from hitting the floor.



What next? His eyes had gone all weird and so had his teeth. Who had solid black eyes? No one. Who had such long canine teeth? Not Eagan the last time she’d seen him. What had changed?



At first she’d thought he’d leaned in closer to study her wound. But no, he’d licked her hand, over and over again. She closed her eyes as she remembered the soft bobbing motion of his head as the smooth velvet of his tongue had swept across her palm.



What had he said? The blood called to him. Who said something like that?



A soft knock at the door reminded her she wasn’t alone.



“Della, please come out or let me come in. We need to talk. I won’t hurt you.”



She hadn’t locked the door, so there was nothing keeping Eagan out. He was waiting for an invitation. “Come in.”



The bathroom wasn’t big. Just three stalls and a counter. She watched Eagan’s reflection as he eased into the room, moving slowly and obviously unsure of his welcome. When he realized where she was looking, he grinned, briefly revealing those freaky teeth.



He gestured toward the mirror. “That’s a myth, by the way.”



“What is?”



He edged closer, but managed not to block her access to the door. “That I have no reflection. I also like garlic.”



“You’re not making any sense, Eagan.”



But he was. Horrible, terrifying, but amazing sense. All the pieces shifted and turned until one by one they fell into place. A single word filled her mind, shouting its truth even though common sense and reality said it couldn’t be true.



Eagan was already nodding. “The word you’re looking for is vampire. Believe me, if I could make you forget this night ever happened, I would. My people are gifted with the ability to affect a human’s thoughts, but there’s no way to deny the scar on your hand.”



She stared down at her palm in wonder. “My hand is almost healed.”



Holding it out for his inspection, she asked, “How is that possible?”



That same sad smile was back. “My saliva has a coagulant that stopped the bleeding, but my blood has even stronger healing properties. I put a few drops in your tea. By this time tomorrow, that scar will have all but disappeared.”



Her lips curled in distaste. “Your blood! Why would you do such a thing!”



Eagan flinched as if she’d hit him. “Because you cut your hand bad enough to cause permanent nerve and tendon damage. I couldn’t let that happen, not if I could prevent it. Now, if you’re all right, I’ll be going.”



He stopped in the doorway to pull out a business card and sat it on the counter. “I have no right to ask you to keep this between the two of us, Della, but it would be better for all concerned if you did. Here’s my number if you should ever want to talk…or anything.”



His eyes faded back to their usual beautiful shade of blue. As the door drifted shut, she reached for the card. She wasn’t sure what she expected, but all it said was his name and a phone number. Not much in the way of information. Nothing like Eagan McHale, Vampire. Or Hero. Or Rescuer of Damsels in Distress.



She shoved the card in her pocket, determined to hold on to that much of him. Maybe she should be scared, but she wasn’t. Eagan had just taken her whole worldview and shattered it, but he’d also saved her. In her book, that made him a hero in every sense of the world. He’d also had to reveal his secret life to her, trusting Della with his truth before walking away. Why? Because he’d assumed she wouldn’t want him to stay.



Silly man.



Tearing out of the bathroom, she ran straight through the diner and out into the cold Seattle night. Where was he? She looked up and down the block. Nothing. She stared at the alley across the street where he’d stood before. “Eagan!”



She strained to listen. All she could hear was the distant traffic on the interstate. “Eagan, come back. Please.”



Nothing but silence. She fingered his card in her pocket. At least she had a way to get in touch with him. The only question was if she should try now or wait. Her eyes burned with tears from the shock of everything that had happened combined with a profound sense of loss, as if she’d let something precious slip through her fingers.



Time to go inside. She still had a mess to clean up if she didn’t want to answer a lot of awkward questions in the morning. But before she went inside, she froze. That same feeling of being watched was back.



She closed her eyes, afraid to look, and even more afraid that she was imagining things. “Eagan, tell me that it’s you.”



His voice came from right behind her shoulder. “Are you sure you want it to be?”



Two steps backward was all it took to bump into his solid strength. “Very sure.”



He didn’t back away, but neither did he embrace her. “I can’t change what I am, Della.”



“I don’t remember asking you to.”



When his hands came to rest on her shoulders, she tipped her head back to look up at him. The blue in his eyes was ringed with a circle of black. Striking, but not scary. The tips of those long teeth were a little unnerving. When he realized that she was looking at them, he clamped his lips shut.



That’s all it took to have her spinning around to face him. She brushed her fingertips across that stern mouth and followed up the caress with a soft kiss. “Sorry, Eagan, I didn’t mean to stare. This is all new to me.”



He remained stiff, poised as if to disappear again if she made the wrong move or said the wrong thing. Okay, if he needed her to take charge, she would, starting with trailing her hands up the length of his arms up to encircle his neck. She slowly eased forward, closing the last small gap between them, seeking his warmth.



Rather than rush things, she laid her cheek against the staccato beat of his heart. Had he just pressed a soft kiss to the top of her head? Maybe. She hoped so. She sighed as his arms slowly wrapped around her with a gentle strength that made it clear he wouldn’t be letting go anytime soon.



Time to step up the game.



“Kiss me, Eagan.”



He looked so darn serious. “You’re playing with fire here, Della. There are things you should know before we go any further. About me. What I am and what I do.”



She smiled and shook her head. “It’s just a kiss, Eagan.”



That was a lie, and they both knew it. That didn’t mean that she was strong enough to resist temptation, and evidently neither was he.



He tipped his head at just the perfect angle to mate his mouth to hers. She smiled against the gentle pressure, loving the soft feel of his lips. She traced the full curve of his mouth with her tongue. When she felt the tips of his canine teeth, she paused long enough to test their sharpness.



Eagan growled deep in his chest, ramping up their embrace from a slow burn to a total conflagration in only seconds. The fire slid through her veins, through her bones, to pool hot and deep within her. She raised up on her toes, frantic to get closer, demanding he fill the emptiness that had haunted her life for far too long.



A single kiss would never be enough, not when she needed so much more from him. With considerable effort she managed to pull away long enough to say, “Let’s go inside.”



And if she hadn’t made her intentions clear enough, she added, “Take me upstairs, Eagan. Now.”



When he hesitated, she caught his hand in hers and tugged him along in her wake. As soon as they were inside with the door locked against the world outside, he pressed her against the wall for another soul-searing kiss. His powerful hands kneaded her bottom as he rocked against her, the rigid proof of his desire for her all too clear—and impressive. Her desire for his touch was unlike anything she’d ever experienced before.



There were too many layers of clothing between them, though, when she was craving skin-to-skin contact. While she loved how Eagan looked in his leather duster, right now she wanted the coat gone. He smiled against her mouth as she jerked it down his arms and let it fall to the floor.



She was that much closer to all that sleek muscle. Next up, his shirt. But as she tugged it free of his jeans, a car drove down the street, its headlights passing over them. Della froze at the reminder that they were standing where anyone could see them. If the two of them were going to follow this encounter to its logical conclusion, the front of the diner was not nearly private enough.



My bedroom is better suited for this sort of thing.”



Eagan rested his forehead against hers, his hands stroking her back. “Only if you’re sure, Della. I can stop now. I can’t guarantee I’ll be able to if we go much further.”



Ever the gentleman. She placed the palm of her hand over his heart, glad that she wasn’t the only one with a pulse running at the red line. Staring up into his eyes, now more black than blue, she let her hand slide down and down until she cupped him through the heavy denim.



I want you.” She gently squeezed. “I want this.”



He caught her wayward hand in his and brought it up to his lips for a soft kiss. “We should talk about what could happen if I take your blood again.”



She was in no mood for conversation. Before she could protest, he swept her up against his chest, guiding her legs around his waist.



But not now. We can talk afterward.”



She buried her face next to his neck, drawing his scent deep into her lungs. “Perfect.”



And it would be. She just knew it.